Spike puller



May 6, 1924-. V 1,492,900

A. L. SCOTT SPIKE FULLER Filed July l5. 1922 E-f. E.'

- E mwm/ca l @51a Patented May 6, 1924.

ANANIAS L. SCOTT, 0F MORRIS, ALABAMA, .ASSIG-NOR 0F O'NE-Ii-IALF ELLIS,OF MORRIS, ALABAMA.

SPIKE FULLER.

Application filed July 13, 1922. Sera1`No. 574,657.

Morris, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Spike Fullers; and

I do declare the following to be a full, clear,

. and exact description of the inventioin'such as will enable othersskilled 1n the yart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates generally to spike pullers, and particularly tospike pullers which are especially adapted for extracting or removingspikes from railway tracks.`

The invention hasbeen designed in order to provide a spike puller bywhich spikes located on both the inner and outer sides of the rails of arailway track kmay be removed while the operator is positioned :betweenthe rails. The invention is therefore particularlyuseful forremovingspikes from railway tracks located upon'bridges and trestles,-since in using it, the operator would not have to get on the outside ofthe track close to the edgel of the bridge ortrestle in order to removethe outer spikes from` the track. The improved spike' puller comprisesva handle bar, to one end `of which a spike-Yengaging head is pivotedyso as to swin'gfto various positions with respect thereto,l and novelmeans for locking the spike-engaging head in its various positions uponthe handle bar. This broad combinationand arrangement of parts; can be"'embodi'edfin devices which will have the highly desirable f featuresof being not only strong and durable but also of being of simpleconstrue-- tion, and therefore can be very cheaply and economicallymade.

The novelty in the invention resides in the combination and arrangementof parts, and the various features of construction which are hereinafterfully described and claimed7 and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing.

In the drawing which forms a part of this specification Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of a spike puller constructed in accordance with theinvention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the lower portion of one edge of the puller;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the lower portion of the other edge of thepuller;

Fig. 4 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through.the lower end of the puller;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the lower end of thepuller taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the spike-engaging head of thepuller, taken substantially on the line 6f-6 of'Fig. lg'and Fig. 7 Iis aside elevation of they puller,- showing the spike-engaging head thereofin a dii'ferent position with respect` to the' handlebar then it isshown'i'n, in Fig.4 l.

vThe `device illustrated in the drawinghas a handle bar 17 the lower endO-f'which is 'i bifurcated so as to form a pair of spaced disk-like earsor extensions 2.l These'ears or extensions 2 are provided 'withalinedapertures 3. In `addition to being bifurcated,

the lower end of the handle -bar lis provided in one side with a recess4,. which coinmunicates at one end with the space disposedy betweentheheads or extensions 2. l

, Associated with the handleL bar-Lis spike engaging head 5. The head1 5is provided at, one end with a. ,spike-engaging claw or toe 6 ofsuitable construction and conigurationand at its other endwith'alongitudinally extending shank orlug 7;.y'Prefern ably the shank 7 is oflessthickness than' the lbody portion of 'the .head 5 which'is ofthesame thickness as the lower, end. Of-tlie handle bar 1.' .The lug 7 isdisposed inthe space between the extensions 2,-.and i's pro- -vided.with an aperture S'falinedfwith-.fthe

fro Vafosrirri Iw. l

apertures 3 in the latter.. Apin- 9extending v through the apertures `3and 8, pivotally connects the head 5 to the lower end of the handlebar 1. The ends of the pin 9 may extend through apertures disposed inydisks 1() arranged upon the outer sides of the heads or extensions 2 toserve in the capacity of washers, and cotter pins 11 may be eX- tendedthrough the extreme end portions of the pin 9 to maintain this in place.

The inner end of the shank or lug 7, which is curved concentrically withthe aperture 8 formed therein, is notched so as to provide a series ofratchet teeth 12. These teeth 12 are normally engaged by a vpawl 13which is pivotally mounted between itsl ends upon a pin 14, whichextends transversely across the recess t formed in the handle bar 1. Theupper end of the pawl 13 is forced outwardly by a coil spring 157 whichis located in the recess 4 and confined between the upper end of thepaw] 13 and the bottom of the recess e. By this means, the lower end ofthe pawl 13 is yieldably maintained in engagement with the ratchet teeth12.

One side of the. head is provided with an undercut vrecess 16 runningfrom one e-nd thereof. Slidably mounted in; this recess is a. latch 17having a tinUer-pieoe 18 project ing beyond the side of the head 5 s0 asto be easily engaged and operated. Mounted in the bottom of the recess16 is a coiled spring 19= This coiled spring 19 presses against thelatch 17 and maintains it projected.

One of the heads or extensions. 2 is pro.- vided at its edge with a pairoi notches 2() and 21. rlie notch 2O is disposed at the extreme end edgeof the head while the notch 21 is disposed at one side edge of the head2, approximately at. right angles to the notch 20. The projecting endot' the latch 17 fits into either of the notches 2O and 21, dependingupon in which position the head 5 with respect t0 the Ihandle bar 1 isdisposed. Vil'hen in either ot the notches and 21, the latch 17 willlock the head 5 to the handle bar 1, and the pawl 18 engaging theratchet teeth 12 will assist in doing this.

WVhen the head 5 is extended longitudinally with respect to the handlebar 1 and locked in this position, the device may be effectively usedfor removing spikes from the inner 'sides of the rails of a railwaytrack while the operator is positioned between the rails. Whe-n,however, spikes located along theouter sides of the rails are to beremoved, this can be done without requiring the operator to change. hisposition from between the rails, by retraoting the latch 17 and swingingthe head 5 upon its pivot from the position shown in Fig. 1 to theposition shown in Fig. 7 and then releasing the latch 17 when it isopposite the notch 21. In swinging the head 5 upc-n its pivot from theposition shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 7, the p-awl 13will ride loosely over the ratchet teeth 12. VIhen, however, it isdesired to swing the head 5 from the position shown in Fig. 7 back tothe position shown in iig. 1, the upper end of the pawl 13 should bedepressed and at the same time, the latch 17 should be retracted.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, the construction, use and advantages ot theinvention will be readily understood,

It is obvious that numerous changes i-n form, proportion and in thevarious details of construction may be made without departing from theprinciple or sacrificing any oi" the advantages of the invention, andhence, it is to be understood that suoli changes may be made within themeaning and scope of the appended claim.

lVhat is claimed is:

A .spike puller comprising a handle, a spike-engaging head having alaterally disposed spihe-engaging claw at one end and having ratchetteeth at its other end, means pivotally connecting the last named end ofsaid head to the lower end of said handle, said handle being provided atthe last named end with a pair of spaced notches, one ot which isdisposed in longitudinal alineinent with the axis of the handie and theother one of which is; disposed at right angles to said axis, aspring-pressed latch slidably mounted ou said head and adapted to beselectively projected into one or the other ci said notches to hold saidhead against movement relative to the handle when disposed at rightangles thereto or in longitudinal alinement therewith, and aspringpressed exteriorly disposed lpawll carried by said handle andco-operable with said ratchet teeth. l

In. testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ANANIAS L, SCOTT.

